Always Alone
by Ms. KaraokeBlue
Summary: What if Bella was the reason Jake became a shapeshifter. How would it affect him? Would it affect the other pack members?
1. Chapter 1

If Bella thought the months after Edward's departure were soul shattering the weeks that passed without word from Jake were even worse. She didn't know when their awkward friendship had come to mean something more to her than keeping her father from sending her away to Renee but it had. She had come to need Jake's company, his warm smile, his solid embrace, like a lifeline that ran straight to her traitorous heart.

She had been calling the Black's house since the night after the movie without any luck. It was to the point now that Billy was ignoring her calls. Bella hadn't meant to let anyone get close enough to hurt her again but she found herself at the same place all over. That familiar sharp ache in her chest was back with a vengeance.

As she sat with the phone cradled in her hand, an overwhelming sense of worry and despair for Jacob filled her. Why was he avoiding her? Was it the Quileute gang? Had they gotten to him after all? A surge of anger and frustration pushed the other feelings out of the way. If he thought he was protecting her—

Her keys were on the kitchen table in front of her. She felt her faltering resolve harden. At least if she went there she would know one way or another. If Jake's promise to never leave her had been just as empty as Edward's love it might just confirm that there was something wrong with her.

Sitting here agonizing about it was worse than not knowing.

Better to just go and do it quick, before she thought too much about it, Bella resolved.

She snatched up the keys to her truck and grabbed her dad's plaid hunting shirt from where it was hanging by the door. She slipped it on over her grey camisole and dug her feet into her battered converse.

Outside the drizzle was heavy and she wore a mantle of it before she reached her truck and heaved the door open with a loud rusty protest. She pulled herself into the seat by the steering wheel and pulled her seatbelt on.

Taking a deep breath, Bella started the truck.

It wasn't like he wouldn't hear her coming. The roar of her trucks engine preceded her down the road and she was sure the little red house tucked into the trees near the beach in La Push practically communicated her arrival.

She just hoped Jake wasn't being that much of an ass that he'd slip out the back door.

Hopping down from the truck, Bella had to keep herself from grasping her arms in a sudden show of nerves. The front of the house even looked forbidding. She took her time mounting the stairs even though the rain was soaking through the shoulders of her shirt and turning her chestnut hair into a sodden tangled mass.

She lifted her hand to knock on the door when to her surprise it swung open. She blinked at Billy who sat on the other side, wearing a disapproving frown.

"Bella."

"Hi, Billy. Is . . . Jake home?" she stammered.

"He's not here at the moment," Billy said reluctantly.

She wondered if she could trust him. Bella hovered in the doorway and tried to stare him down. "He's not sick is he?" she stated shortly.

"He has not been . . . feeling himself lately," Billy amended. His dark eyes were unyielding. "Bella, you shouldn't be here."

She let out a frustrated sound. "I'm not leaving until I see Jake."

"He's not here."

She spun around. "Fine!" she retorted over her shoulder. "I'll just go for a walk until he comes home!"

Bella stomped down the stairs, catching herself before she could trip on the last one, and hurried across the yard.

She was shaking from a mixture of emotions as she walked quickly down the lane. Most of all it was the disappointment that her rendezvous with Jake had been delayed. It took a lot for her to decide to be confrontational. Especially with Billy. _Ugh that sucked_!

Her decision to go for a walk until Jake came home was a great show of stubbornness but not such a smart idea, she decided as she squelched along. It could be hours before he made an appearance and by then, decisive Bella Swan would be a soggy, sniffling, mess.

She would at least walk to First Beach, she decided. Then if she had to go back and wait in her truck she would. But she wasn't going home until she talked to Jacob Black.

"Is she gone?" Jake's voice reached his father, deep with newfound tenor.

Billy Black sagged a little in his wheelchair. "She's gone for a walk. Said she'd be back," he said in a defeated tone. "Jake, you need to go to Sam and figure this out."

"No!" Jake said harshly. He appeared from the darkness of the hallway, his hulking shape taking up most of the space. Where only a few weeks ago, the large form of a healthy teenager had been now stood the form of a well-defined, muscular, man. "I've already told them what I could."

"You shouldn't be here if she comes back then," Billy said firmly. "It's for the best."

A soft growl escaped Jake's lips. "She's out there alone," he said almost without realizing it.

Billy looked at his son carefully and with sympathy, "Jacob. You're the one who made the decision to stay away. Remember?"

Jake's jaw flexed. He remembered. But right now, with her scent still lingering from the doorway it didn't seem to make a difference. He _wanted_.

He began to pace the small living room. It all changed the night of the movies. When he came down with that strange fever he thought it was just a case of bad timing and a flu bug.

It was the nightmares that came shortly after that changed everything.

While he lay in bed, soaking the bed linen in his fever-induced sweat, he dreamt that he was racing through the forest. He was in pursuit of something and whatever was in flight had his blood singing with the fury of the chase.

As he crashed through the trees he caught glimpses of white to tantalize him. As he pushed himself to run harder he realized he was running on four legs, not two. He was a wolf! He snarled and dug his feet into the loam to gain better purchase.

The distance disappeared between himself and his quarry. He could now see that it was a human form. The realization made the human side of Jake hesitate but his wolf was unshakeable. The person ran from him, but at an inhuman speed. Long hair billowed back as she gracefully ducked and weaved around the obstacles in her path.

Finally she was within reach. Jake's wolf extended itself as it leapt and it's front paws managed to tear at the woman's shoulder. A terrible ripping noise hurt his ears as his claws dug into her bare skin. It was like hearing a car crash; it was the same folding sound of metal. A horrible smell like bleach washed over him and made him shudder for the slightest second before he flattened the figure to the ground underneath him.

The woman had a wild head of red hair and she laughed in delight as she looked up at him.

His wolf didn't give her a chance to say anything. It gripped its head in his mouth and gave it a sharp tug, rending it from its shoulders with another awful sharp screech.

When he looked down at it again he found he was looking at Bella's body. Jake wrenched out of wolf-form and into his own with a sense of dawning horror.

"Bella!" he bellowed. "Bella, no!" He cradled her limp form to his bare chest.

She was colorless underneath all the blood. Her eyes opened only a crack. "You said . . ."

The final shuddering rattle that went through her body made him frantic and he let out a howl of anguish…

Jake had woken up to his trashed room. Sam's gang stood waiting for him just outside the doorway. Hard to believe now that the four massive Quileute men had squeezed themselves into that space anxious for his 'arrival' into the pack.

At the memory, Jake's fists were clenched so hard his nails had embedded themselves into the flesh of his palms.

"Jake," his father tried to reach him.

"I have to go," he said abruptly. Her scent drew around him with searing intensity. At the very least he had to get some fresh air. Then he would fight against the desire to see Bella with the need to keep a safe distance.


	2. Chapter 2 - Drifting

She was hopelessly soaked by the time she reached First Beach. She felt like a drowned rat. Bella just sighed in resignation and made her way down the tide line to the driftwood tree where she and Jake often hung out. At least down here she wouldn't look out of place. She definitely looked like something brought in on the tide.

The horizon was a mix of grey. The clouds reflected the wave tossed sea. The view looked like Bella felt; cold, with her insides churning in anticipation of a big storm.

She sat on the driftwood for a while hoping Jake would appear on the forest path but it didn't seem as though he was going to be quick to oblige her. Sitting in _their_ spot she felt her throat tighten painfully in anguish. Maybe Jake really didn't want to see her.

Even though Jake was nowhere to be seen, Bella realized she was no longer alone on the beach. She let out a little huff of disgust as the familiar outline of Sam's 'gang' appeared around the point.

They were too close to Jake, she made note in rising outrage. They had no right to hang around here like they were welcome!

She hopped down from her perch without her usual caution. She landed in the sand with a clumsy lurch but was past caring what she looked like. Her face prickled with angry heat, washing away her cold pallor.

She thought she heard one of the smaller (and yet still larger than a normal sized man) say, "Here comes trouble!" with a cocky laugh.

It only made her angrier.

The distance between them disappeared as Bella stalked up to Sam, fists cocked. "Go away!"

"Bella," Sam acknowledged her with tight lips. "I think maybe you should think about going home yourself. Get out of the rain."

He was drawing attention to her wet form when they were standing there in nothing but cut off shorts? What a joke?!

"You're not welcome here!" Bella said angrily. "Leave Jake alone!"

One of the guys behind Sam stepped forward with a snort, "Look who's talking! Can't take a hint, Swan?"

Bella shot him a withering glance, "If he doesn't want me as a friend that's his decision but he didn't want to be part of your gang! That much I know! So back off!"

"It's not your choice to make," Sam said shortly, then warningly to the man over his shoulder, "Paul!"

The one he called Paul seemed to be shaking, staring at her with barely suppressed fury. Bella frowned at them in disapproval. What were they on?

Sam turned back to Bella and threw out his arm in a gesture to make her back up. She complied out of instinct.

"Bella!" a familiar voice rang out.

She spun around in relief, "Jake!"

She didn't even see him cross the beach and he was beside her, throwing himself between her and the gang assembled on the beach.

The Jake that blocked her view seemed to take up more space than Bella was used to. She frowned in confusion as she stared at the muscular back and closely cropped head of hair. He looked just like . . .

"What the hell is going on here?" Jake demanded harshly.

"Bella was telling us that we weren't welcome here," the cocky one offered with an unaffected grin.

"Sam?" Jake checked.

"Jared's right," Sam said with a voice heavy with irony, "We were just trying to come to an understanding."

Paul sneered, "Let her down easily, y'know. She's used to it after all."

Bella gasped painfully.

Jake hurled forward and punched Paul square in the face. Paul flew back and landed in the sand a few feet away. He gave a pained groan that turned into a bitter laugh.

Sam had to throw out his arms again, "Jake! Don't! He's just trying to provoke you!"

Jake pushed Sam's arm away but didn't take any more action. "I'll see you guys at your place in a little bit," he said firmly.

"Ok, Jake." Sam said. He hustled the others away.

Turning around to face Bella warily, who had her hands up to her mouth in an expression of dismay, Jake sighed deeply. Then he stiffened.

"Bella I think you should go home."

Bella snapped out of her shock. "What? No!" She reached out for his forearm and watched in hurt confusion as Jake flinched back from her touch. "Jake?"

Jake looked at her from under a newly shorn wing of dark bangs, "You're not safe here anymore," he said ominously.

The shiver that worked itself free had nothing to do with her chill.

"I'm not afraid of you, Jake."

Jake loomed over her and Bella looked up at his new height awkwardly. "You should be."

Where was her best friend? Bella wondered with a sharp ache. Where did he go?

_Can't take a hint, Swan?_

Without saying anything more, she turned and headed away from the beach; tripping on shifting sand and unable to see anything through the hot blur of tears.

She had her answer.


	3. Chapter 3 - Uprooted

She could only drive so far before it became obvious it was too dangerous for her to do so. Bella wasn't even sure where she was when she gave up and pulled onto the shoulder of the road. The truck tilted alarmingly towards the ditch but she didn't care. She hung off the steering wheel and sobbed as though she had nothing left to lose.

Losing Edward had been enough to crush her. It had left her in a world of nightmares and shadows. Everything had been leeched of color and life, including her. Especially her. If she admitted it to herself though, it wasn't a complete surprise. Someone as impossibly perfect and beautiful as Edward was bound to find her lacking sooner or later. It was why she had been so persistent in her quest to become one of them.

But Jacob . . . she had never doubted his faithfulness. His friendship had eventually pierced through the fog of her heartbreak and replaced it with something infinitely more precious. He had promised, _swore_, that he would never leave her. With those piercing and soulful eyes of his, Bella had believed him with her whole heart.

Now that heart lay shattered on the muddy floor of her truck.

She knew that she hadn't been a good friend. She knew that Jacob had felt more for her than she could hope to return when she was such damaged goods but the night of the movies, she was almost convinced they were moving to a new level in their unspoken bond. Only to have that strange feeling worn away from her in the following weeks by doubt when he refused to return her calls.

Bella rolled her forehead on the rim of the steering wheel. She wiped at her running nose with the back of her father's shirt. She sat up wearily to see where she had ended up and found herself looking at the spot where she and Jake had ended up one time, watching the guys' cliff-jump.

"Steroid pumping jerks," Bella said in a voice rough from crying. It seemed to echo through the hollow cavern that was her chest. Her eyes filled up with tears again. Jake was one of them now. He had the haircut and the tattoo to match.

She pushed open the door. The cold wind sweeping up the cliffs from the Atlantic almost gave her pause but she was too upset to care. She tugged off the plaid hunting shirt and threw it on the seat along with her watch and her rings.

What was it about cliff diving that made teenage boys into cocky and independent men? She wondered in frustration. Was it something about leaving yourself behind? Because she was so ready to do that. She was so tired of Bella Swan.

She ducked into the woods at the side of the road and found a path without too much difficulty. It wound around boulders and large cedar trees hung with moss, at times coming perilously close to the cliffs. There was a lower jump that she bypassed and kept climbing upwards. If she was going to leave herself behind she wasn't going to do it half-assed.

She was out of breath by the time she reached the rocky plateau. Bella had to take a break and lean against a boulder to catch her wind. She was numb inside and out from the cold and from the overwhelming sense of loss. She didn't even bother to untie her sneakers. She figured she was already soaked to the bone, why bother?

Approaching the cliff edge, Bella clung to her arms with her hands. It was a long way down. The drop made her toes curl in her squelchy converse.

For one delirious second she thought she could hear Edward pleading with her not to jump but she dismissed his memory with an impatient wave. _You aren't here_, she accused him. _You aren't here and now neither is Jake._

She backed up a few steps and then rushing forward she flew.

When Jake phased to go to Sam's cabin he was met by an unwelcome cacophony of voices in his head.

_Aw man_, Embry whined, _I do not want to tell him_.

_Tell me what?_ Jake demanded.

_Your red-headed leech_, Paul took the opportunity to supply, _seems like your dreams are prophetic, lover boy._

Jake's wolf skidded to a stop in the middle of the forest.

She was here? What did that mean?

_Bella . . ._

He felt a surge of panic.

_Jake!_ Sam tried to draw his attention. _She should be safe. You sent her away remember?_

How could he forget? He felt the hot lick of guilt.

_We'll join up in pairs and spread out looking for the vamp_, Sam ordered.

_Jake and I will follow the trail Bella left just to make sure_, Embry offered.

_Fine. Don't leave the reservation_, Sam warned.

Jake growled at the reminder.

As he and Embry headed back in the direction of the coast line, Jake said gruffly, _thanks_.

A flash of grey with mottled black spots weaved through the trees in the foreground. _No problem_. _Just . . . y'know. If things don't work out with you guys. I might have a chance with her right?_

Jake took out a tree with his shoulder. It crashed to the forest floor with a thunderous boom, spraying roots and soil into the air with the force of its dislodgment.

_Don't hold your breath. _


	4. Chapter 4 - Falling

It was absolutely impossible to maintain any façade of indifference as one plunged hundreds of feet down the side of a cliff. Bella actually felt her face cracking into an amazed smile as the air fwooshed around her alarmingly and the water rose up with impending certainty. She heard the hysterical laugh she made right before she sucked in a sharp panicky breath.

She slapped into the water with a _crack_ that stung her legs like a thousand bee stingers. The cold surface closed over her head. Bella watched a few silver bubbles escaped her mouth when she almost sucked in a surprised breath out of reflex.

Kicking for the surface, her head broke free. Bella immediately gasped for a lungful. She looked around herself in triumph. So that was it! That was the rush! It was freaking crazy! And c-cold!

She treaded water for a moment while she tried to get her bearings. Where was the beach? The cliff was to her left . . .

Her eyes widened; a huge wall of water thundered her way! She just had time to hitch a breath before it had overtaken her and pushed her down and under. Bella's limbs thrashed as she tried not to somersault in the wake but she felt like a helpless flotsam. She kicked upwards and managed to break the surface only to be pushed along by the next surge.

She knew it was bad when she was pushed down the second time, she didn't have a lungful of air. Nevertheless, she kicked for all she was worth, as far from the cliff as she could get.

It was when she was slowing down, her limbs growing heavy from the lack of oxygen that she finally decided she had to try for the surface again. She kicked upwards, her lungs burning, eyes blurring.

Something cold wrapped around her ankle.

Bella screamed.

Silver bubbles of distress blobbed for the surface. Bella looked down to see what had a hold of her and found herself staring back in the impossible visage of Victoria, red hair floating around her smug face. More bubbles streamed from Bella's nose and mouth as she tried desperately to pull free. Seawater began to push into her mouth and down into her lungs.

It began to fill her with a deceiving sense of calm.

_Oh Jacob_. Her thoughts flickered.

Her ears received the faint sound of two _CHOOM's _overheadand something huge and streaming a huge wake of bubbles streaked past her aiming for Victoria. The cold granite fingers suddenly vanished from around her ankle and Bella found herself floating free, drifting. She was unable to move as darkness slowly edged her vision. Her hair wreathed her face like seaweed.

Then she was grabbed again.

The next thing she remembered, she was coughing out the last of the seawater she had inhaled. Someone was pushing down on her chest and she thrashed with a whimper.

"C'mon, c'mon," a very familiar voice urged her.

The warmth of that voice encouraged her to open her eyes. Bella cracked them open and saw Jake leaning over her.

"J-Jake," she chattered through her teeth.

"Oh thank god!" he exclaimed. He crushed her to his bare chest which Bella was happy to plaster herself to. If she was an ice cube, he was the sauna. "What the hell were you thinking?!" he muttered into her neck.

"I was trying to see what happens when you cliff dive," Bella continued to chatter. "Did I also lose my balls and my hair?"

A bray of laughter made Bella look over her shoulder in question.

"Oh that's fucking funny! I'm gonna tell the guys that one!" Embry snorted.

"It's not funny!" Jake snarled, "She almost died!"

"Embry? You too?" Bella said in disappointment.

"Okay. That's enough," Jake said, "We need to get you warmed up. You're blue."

"You're place is closest," Embry said to Jake, "She needs a hot shower and dry clothes."

"What about-?" Jake gave Embry a hard look.

"Already taken care of. The guys are looking after . . . it."

Bella was shivering too hard to pay attention to their conversation. "J-jake!" she pleaded.

He hoisted her up in the air, holding her as close to him as he could. "Okay Bells, let's go."

Jake and Embry made it back to the Black house in record time. In fact Bella was sure she was hallucinating the parts where they travelled on foot. It seemed to go faster than humanly possible. It almost reminded her of . . . no she wasn't going to compare experiences.

Billy wasn't home. Jake went straight through the little house to the bathroom where he sat Bella carefully on the side of the tub.

"Em," he said over his shoulder at the hulk in the doorway, "could you get some of Rebecca's old stuff for Bella to wear?"

"Sure thing," Embry said. His dark eyes swept over Bella's hunched form before he backed out of sight.

"Ok, Bella. We need to get you out of these wet clothes."

She could have said something smart, but her teeth were chattering so hard she was afraid they might break. Instead she leveled a gaze at him.

"C'mon Bells, It's nothing I haven't seen before with two sisters." Jake tried to sound casual.

With a doubtful look, Bella crossed her arms to pull her camisole over her head. When it got stuck, Jake helped her peel it over her head and untangle her hair. He avoided her eyes and locked his jaw a little at the pale expanse of flesh it revealed.

The worst part was her jeans. Those were hermetically sealed to her legs with seawater and sand. They systematically had to roll and tug them from her legs which were covered in gooseflesh from the cold.

She had lost one of her sneakers to . . . Victoria. The other pair was on the porch.

"Here you go." Jake leaned over and started the shower. He checked the temperature and held a hand out to help her in. Bella stood there in her underwear with jelly legs and tried to lift them over the side of the tub. Instead she somehow managed to kick her already bruised ankle against the side.

She made a pained sound.

Jake couldn't help the snort, "Still as coordinated as usual."

Bella lifted her leg up onto the side of the tub to check her ankle closer. She had a bracelet of finger length bruises. She hissed as she ran a finger over the tender sight.

"What is that?" Jake said suddenly. His voice was suddenly hard.

_Victoria's smug face. _

Bella's breath hitched in her throat. "Something held me down when I was underwater," she said elusively. "I don't know how I got out."

It was like he didn't hear her. "Let me see that!" He was shaking. "Em!" he barked.

Bella jumbed and scrambled for a towel when she heard Embry's lumber heading for the bathroom.

"S'up?"

"Look at this!" Jake gestured to her bruised ankle.

She began to tremble as the two men focused intently on her leg and got a strange dark look in their eyes.

The running shower began to fill the room with steam. Bella began to falter in strength. She was sapped and cold. "Jake, although this attention is to be flattering, I really just want to be warm again."

The look he gave her was that strange one. Before _her_ Jake was back in the next blink. She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Sorry. Of course! Here let me help you in."

She accepted his hand and carefully climbed in. Once inside the shower it felt like hot needles drumming into her icy cold body but ever so slowly she could feel her body temperature change. One of the things she quickly realized was that in order for her to get warm, she was apparently going to have to survive the worst case of pins and needles she had ever experienced.

Her whimpering drew Jake back to the bathroom.

"Bella? What's-?" He swore when he found her on the floor of the tub, curled up in a little ball.

He turned off the taps and wrapped her quickly in a huge Jake-sized towel. Bella felt herself being picked up again but she was too preoccupied by the painful stinging of her body coming back to life to notice much more than that.

As she squirmed in pain, Jake did his best to dry and brush her hair while Embry was left trying to slip a pair of Rebecca's old pajamas on Bella.

As her writhing subsided, Bella was left in a state of such exhaustion that she felt herself drifting off, wedged between two burning men. Her last sight was of the unspoken glance between Embry and Jake as they looked down at her bare ankle.


	5. Chapter 5 - Fever Dreams

"She's so tiny," Embry marveled.

"Yeah," grunted Jake as he stared down at Bella's sleeping form, "don't remind me."

The girl in question was stretched out between them on his tiny bed. A miraculous feat only accomplished by the pressing need to share their supernatural warmth with her lack thereof. Her plunge in the Atlantic had left her with uncontrollable shivering despite a quick jump in the shower.

Jake was worried about her. First of all, he was impatient to find out what had possessed her to go cliff jumping; now of all times! He knew her well enough to know that her glib comment back on the beach had been a calculated shot as well as an expression of hurt. If she had jumped that cliff because he had hurt her earlier . . .

"Jake. Man. Your growling is gonna wake her up." Embry's voice reached him.

He gave himself a mental shake.

"One of us should check in with the others," Jake said. He gave his friend a raised eyebrow when it was obvious that he was wedged under the window and Embry had his back to the room.

"Oh right." Embry shifted reluctantly.

Jake's frown deepened, "Remind me why you're even here?"

"Two is better than one? She'll be warmer quicker?!" Embry replied too quickly.

This time the growl reverberated through the small bedroom.

Embry made a quick retreat but not before Jake noticed it was genuine reluctance. He barely had time to wonder at it before Bella was making a noise of discomfort and he was readjusting the blankets to make up for the lack of warmth.

He did note the high spots of color on her cheeks. He didn't think they were a good sign, what with the shivering and the clammy sheen to her skin.

"Fuck Bells, what were you thinking?" Jake pulled her closer to his chest and pressed his lips to her hair. "Charlie's gonna wonder why you suddenly came down with pneumonia. I'm not telling him you went cliff diving with a vamp—"

He blinked.

"—ire."

Bella was staring back at him.

For a second, Jake thought he'd gone and done it.

Then to his secret delight, Bella snuggled in closer. Her soft breath tickled the skin of his chest, right over his heart. The weight of her cheek felt like home.

He was in his element until she breathed, "Ssh. Can't tell anyone or we all die."

The glacier slid right down his back as she seemingly returned to unconsciousness.

Embry peered around the doorframe, "Did she just-?"

Jake stared at Embry, "Is that why-?" _She couldn't tell me? Her best friend?_ His thoughts continued. "Oh man."

Embry looked longingly at Bella's blanketed form and then away before Jake could notice. "Sorry, Jake. Sam says we have trouble."

"What?" Jake's voice rose.

Embry cleared his throat. With his hand at the back of his head in the posture of being caught out he started, "They were okay until they started burning pieces of the vamp bitch. They got to the hand; the piece that touched Bella and everyone started feeling weird. Paul lost his shit-"

"So what? Paul always loses his shit!" Jake snarled, "What does this have to do with Bella?"

Embry held his hands out, "I don't know. But man, I'm feeling it too."

Jake half rose from the bed in a protective crouch, "Explain 'feeling it'," he snarled.

Just then they heard the howl. It rose from the forest, wild and desperate.

Jake turned his eyes to Embry, he looked feral as he responded to the sound.

Holding his hands out in a peaceful gesture, Embry tried to explain, "Whoa there. I don't know what's going on here anymore than you do. I just know that since we pulled Bella out of the water I've been feeling . . . protective . . . of her."

"And Paul?" Jake demanded. "What the hell is Paul feeling?!"

"I just caught a glimpse but it looks like all he can think of is seeing her and making sure that Bella's okay."

"No!" Jake barked.

"Jake! It's all of us!" Embry stated, rather bewildered, "It's Bella!"

Shaking his head, Jake began to bundle the sleeping source of contention into his arms. "I don't know what the fuck is going on but I'm getting her the hell out of here."

Embry literally went stiff-legged at the announcement. "You can't do that."

"Watch me." Jake sneered.

"No, I mean you can't do that. Paul's here."

Jake stiffened and extended his senses only to discover that Embry was telling the truth. He could hear the pounding of heavy paws on the ground just outside his window. Heard the heavy gust of breath as Paul scented the frame.

"Paul," Jake said in a normal voice. "If you wake her up I will gut you like my father's catch."

The low whine was no less desperate in tone than the howl. Jake winced bitterly.

Bella made a little protest noise at being moved. Jake's fingers flexed.

"Shh, it's okay Bells," he hushed her.

Jake stared at Embry helplessly. _What the fuck do I do?_

"He just wants to see that she's okay right?" Jake said abruptly.

Embry shrugged.

"Shit."

Against his better judgment, Jake began to walk towards the front of the house with Bella in his arms. Embry slid in front of him and helped hold open the door as Jake maneuvered onto the porch with his sleeping bundle.

Instantly Paul's silver grey wolf was at the bottom of the steps quivering with intense focus. It was unnerving for Jake to realize that the focus was Bella. He couldn't help feeling a little possessive.

"Hey, back off!" he bit out harshly.

It didn't seem to curb Paul's anxiety. He practically climbed the steps until his muzzle was in Bella's blankets. Jake muffled a curse.

"Jake!" Embry called out, "He thinks she might have been bitten!"

_Oh jeezus. _

For more than a second the wolves' deepest fear gripped him before he remembered he had practically seen Bella naked.

"Paul," Jake barked. "She's fine. No bite marks. What you smell is on her ankle where the vampire had a hold of her."

He saw the wolf relax a mark.

"Paul?" Bella's sleepy voice reached them.

Everybody froze.

Bella's head rose until she caught sight of the furry creature that had its nose practically buried in her belly. She gave a little squeak of surprise.

That was the sound that motivated everyone to action.

Paul unfortunately chose that moment to transform.

Bella was suddenly staring at a very naked and very contrite man.

"Aw, fuck. Paul!" Jake complained.

"She's okay?" Paul insisted.

With an eye roll, Jake said, "other than a fever she's fine."

"Jake!" Bella's voice was high.

"Fever?"

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say to Paul. He began to shake.

"Get it under control Lahote!" Sam barked from the tree line. He appeared with Jared's wolf at his side. "Jake, everything okay?"

"Freaking great!" Jake retorted.

A small elbow dug into his ribs and Jake stared down at Bella more in surprise than pain.

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on?" she demanded.

His eyes softened despite himself. "I'll tell you what I can Bells." He looked up at Embry, "but I think somebody better call my dad about the other stuff."

"Other stuff?"


	6. Chapter 6 - Stories

"Well I can tell you there is nothing in the histories that can explain what is happening to you boys," Billy confirmed.

"That's helpful," Jared uttered.

Everyone ignored him.

"The closest account I can come to is something called, and it's somewhat lost in the translation," he apologized to a mystified Bella, "imprinting. A bond between a shifter and his mate."

Bella tried not to squirm at the term mate. This was getting a little intense for her. Especially with multiple gazes that kept taking turns peering at her when Jake's watchful attention was elsewhere.

"Imprinting," Paul scoffed, "like ducks? I'm no freaking duck."

Billy reserved the urge to roll his eyes, "It's just a description for the unbreakable bond between two chosen people. It was quite the honor. They described the feeling as if when their eyes met that the world no longer mattered but for the two of them. That they existed only for each other."

Eyes met and slid away. Heads shook negative and Bella breathed a sigh of relief. It sounded like someone's idea of a bad romance novel.

"Then what's going on?" Jake rumbled. He was still holding Bella's blanket wrapped form in his lap. For the life of her she couldn't think of a reason why she should move away from the warmth and security of his arms.

"We all know how Jacob feels about Bella," Sam volunteered, "why are the rest of us suddenly feeling . . . something for her as well?"  
Billy didn't know what to say at first. He looked at his son's tight expression and was compelled to try and explain, "For all that we have passed down in stories like Taha Aki and the Third Wife, there are many yet untold. We do not have anything to explain the dynamics of a pack of shifters. It may simply be that since Bella here is special to one of you, that the rest are particularly protective of her in the nature of a pack."

Bella was sure she missed something important. Jacob felt something for her? Then what was that at the beach earlier? When he told her she wasn't safe here anymore? _Yes_, her fickle memory provided, _right after he defended you against Paul_.

Outloud she said, "Taha Aki?"

"I think we should have a bonfire this weekend," Billy announced kindly, "maybe you would like to join us."

Bella looked up at Jake's profile. He nodded at her, "Dad tells traditional stories at the bonfire."

"Sure," Bella replied before she was overtaken by a yawn.

"I should get you home," Jake said reluctantly.

There was a chorus of growls at the announcement. Bella's eyes snapped open in surprise.

Jake's answering growl was the loudest. Maybe because she was so close to the source, but she didn't think so.

She was no longer ignorant of the fact she was surrounded by men who could explode into giant wolves. Wolves, Vampires, what was she? A supernatural magnet?

A strangled gasp escaped her burning throat. _Victoria! _Oh no! She'd forgotten all about the female vampire in the ensuing confusion.

"Bella?" Jake asked her, noticing how she went stiff all over.

"Y-you can't drive me home!" Bella protested. "I'm fine. I-I need to go!"

She scrambled off Jake's lap, instantly regretting the loss of warmth.

"What? Why?" Jake protested.

_Can't let him get hurt!_ Her thoughts milled in panic. _If Victoria is waiting for me I have to lead her away!_

Paul was the closest to the doorway. He was leaning against the door jam. He took a deep draught of air and frowned. "Her adrenaline is spiking."

Bella shot him a dark look. _That_ was just plain wrong.

"Bella at least let me make sure you get home safely," Jake argued.

Her heart beat did a sickening thud at the thought of Victoria finding Jake.

"There it goes again," Paul drawled. "Something about you going with her," he confided to Jake.

"Shut up!" Bella exclaimed.

"That's it," Jake said, "Paul you're coming with me."

Bella thought it couldn't get any worse. She didn't want _more_ people hurt because of her!

"No!" she cried out. "You can't come with me!"

"Bella . . ." Jake said in a tone she'd never heard before. It made goose bumps crest on the back of her neck. She shivered at the warning in his voice.

He caught her gaze in his dark one.

She crumbled.

"Please-! I don't want you to get hurt!" she begged him. "Can't you just trust me?!"

"What are you worried about, Bells?" Jake asked her quietly.

He wasn't going to let her go. She let out a frustrated sob. "The—thing that held me down in the water. It's going to be looking for me. I don't want it to hurt you."

To Bella's confusion the tension in the small living room eased and Jake almost visibly relaxed. He stepped forward and clasped her arms in his large hot hands. "Bella, it's okay. We took care of it. The vampire is gone."

She shook her head in confusion. "Gone," she said numbly.

"We burned the bitch to ashes," Paul said with sudden harshness.

Her knees suddenly couldn't hold her up any longer. Jake's hands grasped her before she could collapse to the floor. "You killed Victoria," Bella questioned, feeling faint. "How?"

"Embry got her." Jake said grimly.

"People can't kill vampires," Bella heard herself say from a distance.

"People can't. We can." Embry said proudly.

It was too much for Bella. She thought of Victoria's smug face and the icy cold feeling of her fingers around her ankle. All of that eternal beauty and power, that vicious threat, was gone as though it never was.

Jacob—her best friend—her ray of sun in this perpetual town of drizzle and rain was a creature so powerful that he and his friends could destroy vampires. How very ironic.

She fainted.


End file.
